Neemia Tialata says the All Blacks are right behind their soccer World Cup compatriots as they prepare to go all white at training tomorrow in a show of support.
The All Blacks plan to swap their new teal training rugby jerseys for a white strip at tomorrow's session in Dunedin as they back the All Whites in their World Cup opener against Slovakia (11.30pm start time NZT).
The white jerseys will be a one-off, and they will have each player's name printed on the back. They will later be sold for charity.
Prop Tialata had been in regular touch with his Wellington Phoenix mates Ben Sigmund and Leo Bertos in South Africa in recent days and said the All Blacks would be around the big screen en masse tomorrow night.
"Yeah it's massive, the boys are looking forward to it," Tialata said in a chilly, rainswept Dunedin today.
"We've been tweeting with a few of the players over there, just sending them good luck messages. The boys are definitely behind them and we'll be up to watch the big game."
Having got a feel for the mood in the All Whites camp, Tialata was tipping them to make a splash against some of the more fancied sides in South Africa.
"I reckon they can. In one of my tweets I said they're definitely the dark horses of the World Cup. I believe that they can do it, they can tip over some big teams."
Tialata, a regular visitor to South Africa with the All Blacks and Hurricanes, had also offered the footballers some sage, tongue-in-cheek advice ahead of the biggest game of their lives.
"Just keep away from the bread and the good food in Africa and keep putting that suntan lotion on ... and hide those cameras as well."
Meanwhile, the All Blacks largely remained indoors on a traditionally quiet post-test Monday as they begin their buildup for Saturday's test against Wales at Carisbrook.
They were scheduled to have an afternoon run-around at an indoor stadium before conducting a mass training session with secondary school teams from around the region.